Yasuke Live-Action Adaptation Coming to Netflix

Netflix has been diving further into creating its own original anime these past years, with the anime series, Yasuke, being a prime example of what the streaming service was capable of. With the platform working on live-action adaptations of franchises including One Piece, Yu Yu Hakusho, and Avatar The Last Airbender, Netflix has announced that a live action take on Yasuke is on the way, with the star and the creative minds behind the adaptation confirmed.   

The Hollywood Report revealed that the star of the smash hit, Lupin, will be taking on the role of the legendary samurai and has plenty of comments to share when it comes to the project. Nick Jones Jr, who originally served as the main writer for Yasuke’s anime adaptation that also aired on Netflix and returns to writing duties here, had this to say about the new take on the old legend:

“Getting a chance to finally bring Yasuke’s legendary true story to life has been a dream of mine ever since I served in Japan as a Marine.”  

Nina Yang Bongiovi, one of the executive producers for the live-action adaptation, shared her thoughts on the series as well as what she, and fellow executive producer Forest Whitaker, are aiming to bring to the table with this new project:

“This is the perfect project for what Forest and I strive for — the intersectionality of two cultures through great storytelling, to bring a real-life, historical figure to the forefront, paired with incredible action, with faces that represent both Black and Asian heritage — behind the camera and in front of the camera — equates a total dream scenario.”

Finally, Omar Sy, the star of the live-action Yasuke who will be bringing the legendary figure to life, shared how he’s been inspired by the fable and how the action sequences will stand out:

“I’ve been inspired by Yasuke for quite a while. With this superb team, we are creating a remarkable series showcasing what it meant to be an African samurai in Japanese history. The action sequences alone are going to be phenomenal and ingenious.”  

What do you think of Netflix putting a brand new spin on Yasuke? Feel free to let us know in the comments or hit me up directly on Twitter @EVComedy to talk all things comics, anime, and the world of the samurai. 

Via The Hollywood Reporter